April Employee Spotlight: Justin Marks

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Here at Sierra w/o Wires, we take pride in getting to know our employees, we’re like a family here! This month we wanted to put the spotlight on one team member, Justin Marks. Justin has been with the SWOW family for 2 months working as a Server Operations Engineer.  Justin has an associate’s degree in Information Technology and Network Administration from the Pittsburgh Technology Institute. On top of that, he also has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from California University of Pennsylvania.

Justin has a wide range of interests and hobbies that tell a lot about his personality. When not working at Sierra, Justin likes to keep up on new technologies, progressive metal, political reform and PC gaming. If you don’t find him playing his bass guitar or kayaking, he’s’ probably is riding his motorcycle or volunteering!

We asked Justin what his favorite place he ever traveled to and he said:

“I went to Australia the summer before my high school senior year. It’s the furthest I’ve been away from home, and had a pretty awesome time. I got to bring home a didgeridoo that I learned to play, tried all kinds of good food, and slept in a heavy sleeping bag in the desert under the stars.”

Sounds like a great trip to us! Australia is an amazing place that not many people get to visit in their life time so we think Justin is a lucky guy!

Most business professionals have their own tips and tricks that they like to abide by. Here’s one from Justin that we think everyone can benefit from:

“Go to networking events, meet people, shake hands, and make connections. Make a LinkedIn profile, keep it up to date, and keep in touch. Knowing people ends up being more valuable than a degree.”

Networking can be a really powerful tool when used properly. “Networking is considered the most effective way of finding a job – particularly in challenging economic times. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 70% of all jobs are found through networking.” (Networking) Networking is a great opportunity to find jobs that haven’t even been posted yet. Employers are more comfortable hiring someone they have met prior to any interview processes because they know the persons personality, which is usually reflected in their work.  Like Justin said, keep in touch! Keeping in touch is a key success factor when it comes to networking. While you might not be looking for a job you will find many references that may come in hand in the future. If you’re going to a company sponsored event, a trade show, or even just the mall, have your business card… you never know who you are going to run in to! Who knew something so simple could be so effective? The Sierra team now challenges you to go out and network to see what untapped opportunities are in store!


"Networking." Networking. Yale University, Web. 27 Apr. 2015. `               <http://ocs.yale.edu/content/networking>.
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A little History for the Holiday: New Year's!

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Why do we drop a ball on New Year’s Eve at midnight?

The tradition began because American’s wanted a way to light up the city of New York without the threat of fireworks endangering the city goers below. The Ball Countdown and Dropping at midnight is most famously known to take place at Times Square in New York City.

The Ball Dropping was adapted from early times when Captains used time balls to adjust their chronometers/timepieces while out at sea so they could keep track of time more accurately. They would spot the harbors with their telescopes and watch for a time ball to drop, specifically one o’clock every afternoon. England’s Royal Observatory was the first harbor to install a time ball in 1829 followed by The US Naval Observatory in Washington, DC in 1845, along with many other towns and cities that adopted the origination.


It wasn’t until 1907 when fireworks were formally banned for New Year’s celebrations in New York City. The New York Times owner and chief electrician, Adolph Ochs and Walter Palmer, teamed up to find a new and safe way to light up the New York skyline and the first New Year’s Eve ball was officially born.

The ball weighed 700 pounds and was 5 feet in diameter, made of wood and iron with 100 25-watt light bulbs decorated around it. At Midnight on December 31st 1907 the first ball made its decent down a pole with pulleys, signaling the New Year. The original pole was actually the main mast from the battleship USS New Mexico, making the adaptation even more significant to the origins of the time balls.


The Ball has descended every year since 1907, with exception to the years of 1942 and 1943 when it was suspended during wartime. Even though the Ball Drop did not occur those two years, people still gathered in Times Square to celebrate. Instead of the ball dropping, the New Year was signaled by a minute of silence and chimes ringing from sound trucks parked at the New York Times Building, hence “Ringing in the New Year”.


Technological advances have changed the ball immensely since its origin in 1907. In 1920 the ball was redesigned and completely made of wrought iron to make it lighter in weight. In 1955 the iron ball was replaced by an aluminum one allowing an extremely lighter weight of 150 pounds. In the 1980s a lit green stem was added to the ball, made to look like an apple, to signify the “I Love New York” promotion and that lasted seven years. In the 1990s the ball was made over with rhinestones, strobes, and controlled with computer technology, making its last decent in 1998. In 2000 the ball was entirely redesigned by Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting to create a special celebration for the new Millennium.






Since then, the latest technologies in lights and materials have been updated consistently so the ball continues to signal the New Year and dazzle people all over the world.


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A little History for the Holiday: Thanksgiving!

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Bet you don’t know who declared Thanksgiving to be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of every November.

Hint: It’s the same person to serve as the first President of the United States… and no, it is not George Washington as many believe!

The United States declared its independence in 1776, yet Washington did not take office until 1789. There were actually eight Presidents before George Washington, but the very first was John Hanson. The new country was formed under The Articles of Confederation and Congress elected John Hanson as President in 1781.

Back then, the Presidents prior to George Washington only served one year terms, but in that short amount of time John Hanson accomplished many items of importance. Hanson ordered foreign troops off American soil, he also established the Great Seal of the United States, the first Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs Department. And lastly and most important to this holiday, he established the celebration of Thanksgiving to be held on the fourth Thursday of every November.

The first eight Presidents often go unheard of because they served under The Articles of Confederation, which was later replaced by the Constitution. George Washington was the first President to serve after the Constitution was written, which is why he is known to many as the first President of the United States.
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Celebrate Halloween With These Templates for Techies!

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Show your Sierra pride with a Sierra Swoosh pumpkin.
Click here to download the template.


All programmers know that a missing semicolon can wreak havoc in a program, and that the devil really is in the details.
Click here to download the template.


Why do computer programmers confuse Halloween with Christmas? Because Oct 31 = Dec 25.
Click here to download the template.


Celebrate Halloween like it’s 1998 with a vintage Microsoft Windows pumpkin.
Click here to download the template.


Now you can be the envy of all your IRL neighbors with this Minecraft pumpkin template, no hunting for an abandoned mine shaft chest required.
Click here to download the template.


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Three Key Benefits of Remote IT Support

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Remote IT support allows a technician to diagnose a problem, troubleshoot possible solutions, and verify an implemented solution has resolved the issue, all via the internet through desktop sharing. Below we’ve outlined the three key benefits that having a remote IT support team will provide for your business.

Three key benefits of remote IT support are:

1. Reduced Costs
Remote IT support can help reduce costs for the following reasons:
- When problems are able to be fixed remotely, you won’t be billed for a technician to travel to the job site.
- Desktop sharing allows the technician to see and understand the issue quicker and clearer than with a phone call.
- A full remote IT support team is available to supplement your existing IT team, reducing the number of employees your business may need to staff.

2. Increased Uptime
By having a remote IT team available to assist your business with IT matters 24/7/365, your business will experience increased uptime, less delays, and increased productivity.
Remote IT teams commonly address issues such as: - Spyware Removal
- Virus Removal
- Driver Updates and Installation
- Software Upgrades and Installation
This mean that you will be free to focus on the core of the business instead of IT infrastructure.

3. Availability
Remote IT support teams are generally available 24/7/365 and can address your IT issues as soon as they arise. Because your IT concerns will be addressed via the internet, software related issues can be resolved in real time from any location. There is no need to schedule an appointment or wait for a technician to arrive.

At Sierra w/o Wires, we specialize in remote monitoring and management of computing systems, and are dedicated to providing IT services that automate, streamline, and standardize daily IT operations.Contact us today at 412-722-0707 or Sales@SierraExperts.com to learn more about our remote IT solutions. To learn more about Sierra w/o Wires, visit www.SierraExperts.com.
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Email Marketing: What it is and why it?

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Email marketing is sending an email to a group of potential or current customers that advertises service offerings, requests business, solicits sales or donations, or just offers a news update. Sending email campaigns can help to build loyalty, trust, and brand awareness.

Some of the benefits of email marketing are:

1. It’s marketing with a wide reach that can be done for free!
Depending on your desired list size and campaign frequency, email marketing services, such as MailChimp, will allow you to send campaigns for free.

2. Email marketing tools provide valuable analytics.
Many email marketing tools offer powerful analytics that allow you to see what people from your list have expressed an interest in by providing information on link clicks.

3. It’s an unobtrusive way to build brand awareness and trust.
Sending an email campaign is much less obtrusive than inundating your customers with phone calls or direct mail. Just make sure you include an unsubscribe link to allow recipients to easily opt out of your emails and reduce the potential for customer frustration.

4. You can get your message out fast.
Many people check their email multiple times a day. Sending an email campaign, versus a mail campaign, allows people to see your message that same day from anywhere and simply click through to linked relevant content.

5. You can use your website to grow your contact list.
By adding a ‘Sign Up for Our Mailing List’ or similar form to your website, you can grow your customer reach and keep track of potential leads.

Your business can use MailChimp, Constant Contact, or another email marketing service to get started with its first email marketing campaign. At Sierra, we are fully equipped to design and develop email marketing campaigns branded to your business, as well as set up “Sign Up for Our Mailing List” forms on your business’s website. Contact us today at 412-722-0707 or Sales@SierraExperts.com to learn more about our email marketing services. To learn more about Sierra w/o Wires, visit www.SierraExperts.com.
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Improving Your Small Business’s Online Presence

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In today’s digital era, consumers often turn to the internet as their first step in making buying decisions. Below we’ve outlined three areas to focus on to help improve your small business’s online presence.

1. Social Media

Social Media is a growing trend and a great way to unobtrusively connect with your customer base. By regularly posting to a social media site, you are reminding your followers of your presence, encouraging growth of your followers through exposure, and helping your business to stand out in its field. When getting started with social media, you should ask yourself, and even your customers, where they’d like to receive news and updates about your business. Not all social media sites, their users, and their function, will be best for marketing your type of business. To invest your time wisely, you may want to limit your social media sites by making an educated decision using the list below, or use a tool such as HootSuite, which will help you manage all of your social media in one place, at one time.

Facebook: Facebook is the largest social media site, and so it’s recommended that all small businesses maintain a Facebook account. Facebook is more laidback and unprofessional than something like LinkedIn, so you can supplement your posts with funny on-topic content that is more likely to get shared and liked. Bonus Tip: Increase presence with a target demographic by using Facebook’s paid promotion tools to boost your page and specific posts.  

Google+: Google+ is also recommended for all small businesses. Although Google+ isn’t currently as popular as other social media sites, it’s likely to grow because of its benefits with Google Search. Google+ posts have the ability to show up regularly in Google’s search results.  

Instagram: If your business’s products can be turned in to many visually stimulating photographs, Instagram is a great way to show off.  
Examples: Bakery, Hair Studio, Nail Salon, Restaurant, Crafters, Artists  

LinkedIn: LinkedIn is the place to connect with other professionals and employees. The professional environment that LinkedIn creates makes it a good tool for b2b (business to business) marketing.  
Examples: Tech Industry, Marketing, Sales, Recruiting  

Twitter: Use Twitter to quickly promote news, events, and specials.  
Examples: Bars, Restaurants, Non-profits, Community Organizations  

Pinterest: Similar to Instagram, if your product is visual, Pinterest is a great tool to use. With Pinterest, your posts have the potential to be pinned and seen by many users. Interest generated by Pinterest isn’t location specific, so you’ll get the most benefit if your products are available for purchase online.  
Examples: Crafters, Artists, Bloggers, Online Retail

 

2. SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization, and is all about where and when your site shows up in search engine results. The more often and higher up in the search results your site appears, the more traffic you will likely receive. While a large part of SEO is done by your website developers, there are some things you can do yourself.

SEO Checklist:

☑ My business has a blog that is connected to the website. The more content your site has and the more frequently it is updated, the better your site will look to search engines. Blogging is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and make regular updates to your site. You can also advertise your blog updates across social media to drive even more traffic to your site.  

☑ My website has analytics set up. It’s important to have some sort of analytics done on your site, often Google Analytics, so that you can see what SEO changes are helping or hurting your traffic. By being able to monitor the results, you can analyze and respond in an informed way that will keep growing traffic to your site.  

☑ My website has fresh, on topic content. Content is king when it comes to SEO. The more content your site has, the more likely words from your site will match with a potential customer’s search query. Having fresh content added to your site on a regular basis will also give you a boost with search engines. Keep in mind that your site’s content should be pertinent and relatable to your target customer base. When writing your content, be sure to naturally use keywords that they are likely to search.

 ☑ I am regularly building links in to my site. Having other sites linking to your site signals to search engines that your website is important and reputable. You can build links in to your site by submitting your site to local business directories, such as industry related news sites or blogs. It’s also important to make sure that your site shows up within Google Map results and Yelp, to help local customers find your business. Another way to build links in to your site is through guest blogging or asking local news sites to cover your business in an article.  

☑ I am avoiding black hat SEO tactics. Black hat SEO tactics are derived to trick search engines in to ranking your website higher. This can include the overuse of keywords, garbage content, hidden keywords, and solicited link building. Oftentimes, search engines will catch on to these black hat tactics and penalize your site, making it hard for your site to show up in search results at all. It’s much better to invest the time and effort in to building your site’s presence through rich content than to risk being penalized.


3. Website

So far we’ve covered steps to improve your presence via social media and SEO, which aim to drive traffic to your website. It’s important to make sure that once consumers reach your website, they’re provided with an optimal experience. If you’re website isn’t meeting the guidelines outlined below, it’s possible that potential customers are leaving your site quickly from frustration.

Website Checklist:

☑ My website is optimized for different sized devices. Visitors will be browsing your site from a variety of devices that have different screen sizes, from a small mobile phone to a large desktop. Your website should adapt to fit these different sized devices in order to provide the best user experience. For example, on a small mobile device, this often means having a one column site with large touchable buttons.

☑ My website is optimized for different types of devices. Viewing a website on different devices can render different results in terms of functionality due to compatibility issues. Your website should be tested across modern browsers and popular devices (Ex: Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE 9-11, iPhone, iPad, Windows phone, and Android phone) to make sure that the visitor will be able to use the site as intended. Whether your site is easy to read and navigate on a device plays a large role in customer’s decision to look around or try a different site.  

☑ My website loads quickly. Visitors often make the decision to stay on or leave a website within the first 5 seconds. The first step in retaining visitors is making sure that all or most of the content is loaded in that time. You can use a free online tool, such as http://tools.pingdom.com, to get an idea of the speed of your website.  

☑ My website has quality content that is relevant to my business. When visitors do reach your site, you want to make sure that they can find what they’re looking for. Evaluate your content from the customer’s perspective by asking yourself: Is my content easy for someone with limited knowledge of the industry to understand? Does the content on my site answer any potential questions the customer may have? Do I get asked reoccurring question on the phone or in person that aren’t addressed on my website?  

☑ My website is user friendly. All of the other website tips we’ve covered so far play a part in creating a user friendly site. Take some time to navigate through your site and see if there are any buried pages or frustrating actions. If you can’t make your way around your own site, a new customer won’t be able to, either.


As more and more people use the internet as a resource when making purchasing decisions, optimizing your business’s online presence is an important investment. How did your business do on the checklists above? Likely, as technology evolves at a rapid pace, there is room for improvement. At Sierra, our website design and development team can help enhance your business’s online presence. Would you like to start the conversation about what needs improvement and how to move forward? Contact us today at WebDevelopment@SierraExperts.com or 412-722-0707.

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